Free MVP (VIP Book 3) by M Robinson Page A

had his mother’s eyes, he was the spitting image of his father. The man was handsome, devastatingly handsome. They made a gorgeous couple. He hugged me just like his wife had and I took in the comfortable and welcoming embrace.
    We made our way into the backyard where there was a huge Olympic size pool. The pavers matched the modern décor, and the outdoor grill had a granite countertop. We sat on the patio furniture as his mom gathered some drinks. I had a glass of wine and Sebastian had a beer.
    “So, Ysabelle, Sebastian tells us that you own a bar and it does very well,” she questioned, taking a sip of her wine.
    I smiled. “Yeah, it does extremely well actually. I’m really lucky, I love it.”
    “That’s amazing. What made you want to get into that?”
    “Oh, I love being near the water, there’s something about it that calls to me. I decided that I might as well do something that makes me happy.”
    She nodded. “I agree. Are you from Miami?”
    Oh man…
    “No, not originally. I had lived here for about eight years before I moved to the island.”
    “Oh lovely! Where are you from?”
    Sebastian and I locked eyes. “Tampa,” I nervously responded.
    “Great! I love Tampa; we go there often for medical conferences. Sebastian used to love going to The Florida Aquarium when he was younger.”
    I chuckled.
    “So, Dad, how’s work?” he asked, taking the focus off of me.
    I’ve never loved him more.
    We spent the next hour talking about Sebastian growing up and I loved hearing the stories about his childhood. It made me feel closer to him to hear about his life. When his mom got up to get baby albums, he put his foot down and said that it wasn’t necessary; she didn’t listen.
    “Isn’t he precious? I swear he was born gorgeous. All the nurses at the hospital couldn’t believe he was a newborn because of how strong his facial features were. He was always such a great baby, sleeping through the night almost immediately. I mean, look at that face.”
    I giggled. “Oh my God!” I yelled, looking at a picture of him in the bath. He was only a few months old and his chubby little body was squirming around.
    “Mom, I think that’s enough,” he said, grabbing the photo album and she slapped his hand, making me laugh.
    “Nonsense,” she reprimanded.
    As we looked through all the pictures, it was then that I realized how much Julia really was a part of his life. I played it off nicely, smiling and pretending that it wasn’t hard for me to see.
    It was.
    When we got to the older years and Olivia showed up–it was uncanny. This girl really did resemble me. I couldn’t believe it; it was almost like looking into a mirror. I had to excuse myself to use the restroom; it was too much to take.
    It was like a reality check.
    Mocking me.

 
    I fucking knew it.
    That was exactly why the second my mom brought out the photo albums, I knew it was going to be a bad idea. It was like witnessing a train wreck. It was written all over her beautiful face the second Julia’s pictures started showing up. She tried to play it off, but she couldn’t hide from me; I wanted so badly to jump over the table and stop it before it happened. I witnessed it in slow motion as Olivia came into the pictures; she looked like she had seen a ghost. I wanted nothing more than to jump over the table and rescue my damsel in distress; instead, I watched her eyes water and then she abruptly excused herself from the table.
    I couldn’t blame my mom, it wasn’t her fault–she was just trying to include Ysabelle in my life. It didn’t come from a bad place. She was proud of me, she always had been. She wanted to show off her only child, like any mother would want to do.
    “Honey, I’m so sorry; I completely forgot,” she sympathized.
    “It’s all right. I know that.”
    “I feel awful. What should I do?”
    I placed my hand on her shoulder. “I got it, Mom. I’ll be right back.”
    I knocked on the bathroom door.
    “Just a